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2009 Trash to Treasure sale a success

2009 Trash to Treasure sale a success

Several hundred "early bird" shoppers are greeted by a pleasant morning on Saturday, May 30, as they wait for the opening of the 2009 Trash to Treasure Sale, held under Beaver Stadium. Shoppers had the opportunity to purchase thousands of items donated primarily by students -- 63.4 tons in total -- during the spring 2009 semester. The event, in its eighth year, brought in more than $60,000 this year for the Centre County United Way, while saving the goods from being thrown away. The Penn State Housing Office, Office of Physical Plant and the Centre County United Way jointly coordinate the event.

WBUS morning DJ and Penn State CommRadio station manager Jeff Brown, right, broadcasts live from in front of Beaver Stadium's Gate C, the starting point of the 2009 Trash to Treasure Sale, organized by the Penn State Office of Physical Plant and the United Way. This year, the sale made available more 63.4 tons of goods, donated primarily by students during the Spring 2009 semester. Proceeds go to the Centre County United Way.

At 6:45 a.m. on Saturday, May 30, 45 minutes before the opening of Penn State's annual Trash to Treasure sale, the queue of shoppers, starting at Beaver Stadium's Gate C, had almost wound its way to Gate B, nearly one-fifth of the way around the facility. The line reached several thousand by the official opening at 7:30 a.m. Penn State's Housing Office and Office of Physical Plant have held the event each year for eight years straight, averaging $50,000 in sales to benefit the Centre County United Way. Items for sale have all been donated, primarily from students living on campus, and totaled 63.4 tons this year.

Eager shoppers await the beginning of the 2009 Trash to Treasure sale outside Gate C of Beaver Stadium on Saturday, May 30. The event, in its eighth year, made available 63.4 tons of goods for purchase, with proceeds benefitting the Centre County United Way. This line, numbering in the hundreds as early as 5 a.m., eventually extended around past Gate B of Beaver Stadium and along Curtain Road.

The hands of waiting "early bird" shoppers grip the closed Gate C of Beaver Stadium on Saturday, May 30, in advance of the opening of the 2009 Trash to Treasure sale, which began at 7:30 a.m. Many of the shoppers at the front of the line had been waiting since midnight or earlier for the mad dash to lay claim to some of the 63.4 tons of donated goods.

Shoppers rush into Beaver Stadium on Saturday, May 30, at the start of the 2009 Trash to Treasure Sale which began at 7:30 a.m. outside Gate C of the stadium complex. In its eighth year, the sale has helped the Penn State Housing Office and Office of Physical Plant keep tons of usable goods out of landfills by organizing a donation system mainly for students living on campus. The proceeds of the sale benefit the Centre County United Way. This year, 63.4 tons of such donations were available for purchase during the sale, which ran from 7:30 a.m. through 3 p.m.

Penn State junior Greta Righter browses dresses and other women's attire during the 2009 Trash to Treasure Sale on Saturday, May 30, under Beaver Stadium. The event, organized yearly by the Penn State Housing Office and the Office of Physical Plant, helps save many tons of such usable items from landfills, and offers them for sale at very low prices. Proceeds from the event, which this year totaled more than $60,000, will go to the Centre County United Way.

Shoppers navigate sales tables located around the lower concourse of Beaver Stadium during the 2009 Trash to Treasure Sale on Saturday, May 30. More than 63.4 tons of clothes, electronics, housewares and other usable items were available for purchase at very low prices during the event, which helps the Centre County United Way, as well as keeping the materials out of landfills. Most items have been donated by students following the spring 2009 semester.

Trash to Treasure volunteer Josh Glossner, left, locates the prices for items to be purchased by Tracy Wellar, right, and her daughter Kelsey, center, during the 2009 Trash to Treasure Sale on Saturday, May 30. The Wellars were in search of bargain-priced items, many of which were new or gently-used, to get ready for Kelsey's entrance into college this fall. Trash to Treasure, in its eighth year, generated more than $60,000 this year for the Center County United Way. The Penn State Housing Office and Office of Physical Plant organize and help facilitate the organizing and sale of the donated items, which come primarily from students living on campus.

Ellie Beaver, Centre County United Way executive director, left, helps sort dollar bills with Conal Carr, Penn State director of housing, top, and United Way board of directors member Col. (ret.) Gerald Russell, right, at the cashiers' area of the annual Trash to Treasure sale on Saturday, May 30. Each year for eight years, the event, hosted by Penn State's Housing Office and Office of Physical Plant, brings in an average of $50,000 for the Centre County United Way. Items sold at the event were donated by students following the Penn State Spring 2009 semester, and sold at very low prices to community members.

A Trash to Treasure shopper who identified herself as Jennifer, center, waits with soon-to-be-purchased housewares with her son Dodge, left, and daughter Gracie, right, just before the check-out area of the 2009 Trash to Treasure Sale at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, May 30. The family members were just three of thousands to descend upon Beaver Stadium's lower level for the event, which offered 63.4 tons of donated items for sale, many of them new or lightly-used. Penn State students living on campus in the spring 2009 semester were the primary donors of the items The sale's proceeds will benefit the Centre County United Way.